Stabilizer for flying machines



Aug. 7, 1928.

E. F. SANTO susz mzna For; Puma-Mommas Filed Aug. so. 1926 2 Shuts-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Aug. 7, 192a; 1,615379 E. F. SANTO s'rnlmzan m FLYING ncnn ms' Filed Au 30. 1926 '2 sums-sheet 2 NVENTOR fiwwitfawfo BY W ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES ERNEST F. SANTO, OF WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON.

STABILIZER, FOR FLYING MACHINES.

Application filed August 30, 1926.

This invention relates to stabilizers for heavier than air flying machines, and has as one of its objects to provide a stabilizer that is readily available for operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stabilizer that will be carried on a flying machine and that may be depended upon to support the machine when necessary. p

A further object of this invention is to provide a stabilizer that may be restored to a position of rest while in the air.

A further object of this invention is to provide a stabilizer and providing a means for filling or emptying said stabilizer of gas.

WVith these and other objects in view, reference is now had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fragn'ientof the body of a flying machine with part broken away showing the gas plant and con- 7 trols;

Fig. 2 1s a perspective view or a guide yoke;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a flying machine showing the stabilizer in the opera tive position;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the stabilizer partly folded;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of a fragment of a wing showing the stabilizer at rest in a compartment provided for the purpose;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of means for drawing the stabilizer to rest and for releasing it for operation; and

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of the fie)? ible casing.

Having reference to the drawings,.like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 1 refers to a heavier than air flying machine which maj be of any type, and attached to the flying machine, in a manner to be explained, a gas bag 2 preferably oblong, or of cigar shape, and this gas bag comprises a plurality of compartments consisting preferably of an upper compartment 3 having sufficient capacity to support the weight of said bag, a lower compartment 4, and end compartments 5 positioned on either side of the upper and lower compartments respec tively, and in a manner that the lower compartment Will act to maintain the ends of the bag outward in their proper position by its pressure against the end compartments when the whole is inflated. V

Serial No. 132,462.

By this means the gas bag 2 may be foldably collapsed by deflating the end compartments then deflating the lower compartment and finally and successively deflating the upper compartment when the bag is at rest.

W'Vithin the body of the flying machine, and carried thereby, is a gas supplying means 6, which may be of the usual type or which may consist of a storage tank 7, a pump 8, the latter operated by a motor 9, in turn driven by a storage battery 10, a switch 11 being mounted onthe instrument board 12 for the purpose of control.

The storage tank 7 is provided with a main lead 13, in which is a pressure gauge 14 mounted on the instrument board, and from this pressure gauge is arranged a pair of flexible outlets 15, each outlet having its individually controlled valve 16, while a sec- 0nd gauge 17 is likewise connected with the main lead and mounted on the instrument board and has valves 16, and flexible outlets 18 and 18 leading therefrom.

All four outlets are extended to form flexible leads connected with the bag and are encased in a flexible casing 19 for protection.

Two of the outlets, 18 and 18, are preferably connected to'the compartments 3 and 4 respectively,while the other two outlets 15 and 15 are connected with the compartments 5. I

A return pipe 13 is connected between the main lead and the pump 8, and a valve 13 is provided in the return pipe, with a second valve 13 in the main lead, to control these two leads.

By this means it is obvious that by closing all of the valves excepting the valve 13 the pressure of the tank will. be registered on the gauge 14; that by closing this valve and by opening either of the valves 16 or 16 the pressure in either of the four compartments will be registered on their respective gauges; and that by closing the valve 13 and opening valve 13 any of the compartments can be emptied by the pump by manipulating the valve complemental to the respective compartment.

This single flexible casing is now arranged over a paying-out-jack 20, and each of these flexible tubes passes to and is connected with one of the above mentioned compartments in the bag. I

It will now be noted that by means of the above mentioned valves that any of the compartments in said bag can be deflated at will, the result being that by deflating the end compartments 5, and then deflating the lower compartments 4-, the bag will assume a position shown in Fig. 4; and be supported in the air by the upper compartment 3, which as before mentioned, has the necessary capacity to support the weight of the bag 2.

The paying-out-jack 20 may consist of any suitable means for taking care of the casing 1.9, a typi 'al means being" shown in Fig. 6, which consists of a plurality of sheaves 21, divided into two sets, each set being mounted upon its respective shafts 22, with one of said shafts being fixed with respect to longitudinal movement, while the other shaft is movable longitudinally being provided on each end with a block 23 threadedly engaging a pair of worms 24, the worms carrying a means for rotating them consisting of spur gears 25 intcrmeshed with a spur pinion 26, the latter being connected to any prime mover (not shown) by means of the shaft 27.

Now in a wing 28, or other suitable place about the flying machine, is provided a receptacle 29, and this receptacle is preferably positioned betwecn'the center of gravity of the flying machine and the bag. for the purpose that when the bag is drawn to the machine it will readily lodge in said receptacle.

For the purpose of drawing the bag into the machine cords are used, and to prevent tangling thereof, a yoke 31 is provided, having an opening 32 in its center, on both sides of which opening are rotatably mounted rollers 33.

This yoke 31 is supported from the bag by four or more cords 34, in such manner that the yoke remains at a fixed distance from the top compartment to which it is secured.

Now supporting cords 35 are attached to the end compartments 5 of said bag, and these cords pass through the yoke 31 over the rollers 33 and join together to form a single cord 36, that likewise passes over the sheaves of the paying-out-jaek 20 in a manner to be operated coincident with said flexible casing 19.

By this means the casing and the single suppoiting cord 36 are maintained in close proximity, both in drawing the bag to the machine after deflation, or in permitting it to rise therefrom utter inflation, and by this means tangling of the. cord and casing is positively prevented, the cord and casing being under tension at all times.

Now by positioning the receptacle so that the line of the cord and easing. when the balloon is inflated, will extend to the forward end of the receptacle, it is obvious that with the compartments successively deflated that the bag will come to rest in the receptacle and in the compact manner shown in Fig. 5.

In use the bag, is presumed to rest in the receptacle and if desired a suitable cover (not shown) may be provided to cover said. receptacle.

The flying machine now ascends and through some accident the machine is rendered inoperative. To stabilize the machine and prevent accident the proper valves are opened and the switch thrown, when the gas will proceed to inflate the upper compartment of the bag until it raises the bag from the receptacle, augmented by the inflation of the lower compartn'ient, and finally the end con'ipartmcnts are inflated and the bag is now in condition to stabilize and support the flying machine in the air with perfectsafety.

Now in this case the gas may be drawn from the storage tank 7 without the assistance of the pump, or if for any reason sufficient gas is not available in the tank to completely inflate the bag a small gas making machine 37 may be provided, which gas machine is connected to the pump 8, valves 38 being placed adjacent to the pump and in tle pipe line 1", to regulate the flow of gas therethrough, whereby sufficient gas may become ailablc, the gas in this case being pumped through the storage tank.

The pump will now operate to compress the gas in the storage tank, to fill the compartmcnts ot the bag, or to draw the gas from the gas machine to distribute it either to the bag or to the storage tank.

In deflating the bag the reverse operation obtains and by manipulating the valves on the instrument board the end compartments are deflated. The bag now uniformly collapses, the ends being drawn toward the yoke by the supporting cords, and finally by operating the paying-out-jack the bag is drawn to its receptacle, when final deflation of the upper compartment takes place and the bag rests compactly folded in said rcceptacle.

Having thus described my invention, I. claim:

In a stabilizer, a flying machine, a collapsible gas bag, comprising a plurality of. compartments, said compartments consisting of upper and lower compartments, and end con'ipartments, a gas supplying means carried by said flying machine and provided with means to inflate or deflate said compartments successively, a receptacle provided in said flying machine, a yoke supported by said bag, supporting cords attached to said bag and said flying machine and passed through said yoke, and arranged to uniformly collapse said bag and to draw said bag into said receptacle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ERNEST F. SANTO.

IUD

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